Elevator dispatching system



May 16, 1933.

C. E. ELLiS. JR

ELEVATOR DISPATCHING SYSTEM Filed March 17, 1950 INVENTOR C/lar/esCLW/sJrr C 7 (5, b X7 861.

' ATTORNEY Patented May 16,1933

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES E. ELLIS, JR., 013 MAHWAH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC ELEVATOR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS ELEVATOR DISPATCHING SYSTEM Application filed March 17, 1930.

My invention relates to elevator dispatching systems for automatically giving signals for starting the cars at regular intervals and it relates more particularly to the timing devices that are employed for determining the intervals at which the starting signals shall be given.

One object of my invention is to provide a dispatching system in which the timing device shall be automatically adjusted to speed up or slow down the giving of the starting signals when the cars get ahead of, or fall behind, the schedule for which the timing device is set.

Other objects of my invention will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

For an illustration of one of the various forms my invention may take, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which the sole figure is a diagrammatic representation of my invention, as applied to the timing device of a dispatcher for a four-car elevator system.

The drawing illustrates a timing motor 1 for driving the signal-giving apparatus of a dispatcher in a four-car elevator installation. The motor 1 comprises an armature 2 and a shunt field winding 3 that may be connected to any suitable source of electrical energy, such as is represented by a pair of supply conductors L1 and L2. A rheostat 4, provided with a movable contact finger 5, is included in the circuit of the shunt field winding 3 in order that the motor 1 may be regulated to operate at any selected speed.

The armature 2 is disposed to operate a rotatable shaft 6 for driving the revolving brush arm B of the signal-giving apparatus of an elevator dispatcher.

The revolving brush arm B is insulated from the shaft 6 and is disposed to constantly engage a circular strip (1 which is electrically connected to a supply conductor L1. Around the strip O are disposed at equal distances apart in the plane of the face of the circular strip four contact members 7 8, 9 and 10 one for each of the four cars. The contact members are electrically connected, respectively, to four starting signal lamps 7*,

Serial No. 436,393.

8 9 and 10", (one for each of the four cars), which are connected to a conductor L2. As the brush arm is revolved by the shaft, it consecutively bridges the circular strip and the contact members, thereby consecutively lighting the signal lamps to give starting signals to the cars. Or, if desired, the shaft 6 may be connected to operate a dispatching system such as is disclosed in the application of Harry Norton, Serial Number 55,254, filed September 9, 1925, and assigned, by mesne assignments, to \Vestinghouse Electric Elevator Company.

A plurality of beveled gear Wheels 7, 8, 9 and 10, one for each of the four cars in the system under consideration, are mounted upon the upper portion of the shaft 6 for driving the automatic adjusting apparatus embodying my invention.

The beveled gear wheel 7 is disposed to mesh with a cooperating beveled gear wheel 9 11 that is aflixed to a shaft 12. Upon the free end of the shaft 12 is mounted a brush arm 13 that carries a pair of electrically connected brushes 1% and 15 for engaging a disc commutator 16. With this construction, rotation of the armature 2 will rotate the shaft 6, the beveled gear wheels 7 and 8, the shaft 12 and the brush arm 13, thereby moving the brushes 14 and 15 over the face of the disc; commutator 16.

The disc commutator 16 is mounted upon a shaft 17 which is disposed to be rotated, in the same direction as the brushes let and 15, by an armature 18 of a step-by-step motor 19. The motor 19 is disposed to be driven in a continuous direction by the car with which it is associated in synchronism with the up and the down movements of that car, and it may be connected thereto in any suitable manner, such, for instance, as that disclosed in the copending application of Harry R. Norton, Serial No. 55,254, filed September 9, 1925, and assigned by mesne assignments, to lVestinghouse Electric Elevator Company.

In the system under consideration, the timing motor 1 may be regulated to run at a predetermined speed to thereby effect the giving of the starting signals at regular .predeter' mined intervals. The giving of the starting signals at regular predetermined intervals provides a predetermined schedule for the operation of the cars. Under a predetermined schedule, the cars should be at certain positions at certain times in accordance with their movements in following the predetermined schedule. Inasmuch as the brushes 14 and 15 are operated by the timing motor 1 which effects the giving of the predetermined schedule, they will be moved over the face of the commutator 16 at a rate of speed that is in synchronism with the scheduled movements of the car to which it corresponds. That is, at all times, the brushes 14 and 15 will be in a position corresponding to the position in which the car represented by the rushes should be, according to the predetermined schedule. However, inasmuch as the disc commutator 16 is driven by the motor 19 in synchronism with the actual movements of the car to which it corresponds, the disc will move with the brush and there will be no relative movement between the brushes and the commutator so long as the car oper atesin accordance with the predetermined schedule set up by the timing motor. Therefore, when the car runs faster or slower than its predetermined schedule, the commutator 16 will run faster or slower than the brushes 14 and 15, and there will be a relative movement between the brushes and the commutator 16.

Similarly, the gear wheels 8, 9 and 10 are disposed to operate a plurality of brushes 20 and 21, 22 and 23 and 24 and 25 in cooperation with a plurality of disc commutators 26, 27 and 28 for the other three cars in the system. Therefore, when the cars meet heavy traflic conditions which cause them to slow down and fall behind the predetermined schedule, their commutators will run slower than the brushes, and there will be a relative movement in one direction between the commutators and the brushes. On the other hand, other conditions may cause the cars to speed up and run ahead of the predetermined schedule to such an extent that a number of them will be at either terminal awaiting the starting signal. Obviously, when the cars run ahead of their schedule, the commutators will run faster than the brushes and there will be relative movements between the commutators and the brushes in another direction.

In accordance with my invention, the relative movements between the brushes and the commutators are employed to automatically increase the speed of the timing motor when the cars run ahead of the predetermined schedule and to decrease its speed when the cars fall behind the predetermined schedule, in order to change the predetermined schedule to a schedule better suitedto the conditions under which the cars are operating.

The slowing down of the timing motor when the cars fall behind their schedule causes the starting si nals to be given at less frequent intervals an therefore, the cars are given an opportunity to catch up with the schedule. On the other hand, if the timing motor is speeded up, the starting signals will be given at more frequent intervals, and the cars will be cleared from their congested condition at the starting station or terminal.

In practicing my invention, a feed ring 30 is disposed around the commutator 16 in a position to be engaged constantly by the brush 15. The feed ring 30 is connected by a conductor 31 to the supply conductor L1 to ensure a constant supply of electrical energy to the brush 15. Inasmuch as the brush 14 is electrically connected to the energized brush 15, it will also be constantly supplied with electrical energy. Similar feed rings are provided for the commutators 26, 27 and 28.

A pair of conducting plates 33 and 34 and a non-conducting plate 35 are mounted upon the commutator 16 in position to be engaged'by the brush 14. The nonconducting plate 35 is disposed between the conducting plates 33 and 34 in such position that the energized brush 14 will rest upon it when the corresponding car operates the commutator in synchronism with the brushes. However, when the corresponding car runs ahead of its schedule, the commutator 16 will rotate faster than the brushes and the relative difference in the movements of the brushes and the commutator will cause the brush 14 to move from the non-conducting plate 35 to the conducting plate 33, thus supplying energy to the plate 33. On the other hand, if the car falls behind its schedule, the commutator will rotate slower than the brushes and the relative difference in their movements will cause the brush 14 to move from the non-conducting plate 35 to the conducting plate 34, thus energizing the conducting plate 34.

Similar] the commutators 26, 27 and 28 for the ot er three cars are provided with red conducting plates 40, 41 and 42 that will be energized when the corresponding cars run ahead of their schedule, and with green conducting plates 43, 44 and 45 that will be eneilgized when the cars run behind their sched- In order to utilize the energization of the conducting plates for increasing or decreasing the speed of the timing motor 1, the red conducting plates 33, 40, 41 and 42 are connected in a parallel circuit for controlling a high-speed relay X, while the conducting plates 34, 43, 44 and 45 are connected in a parallel circuit for controlling a low-speed re- 125 lay Y.

The high-speed relay X and the low-speed relay Y control a pair of resistors R and R1 which are included in the circuit of the shunt field winding 3 of the timing motor 1. When both of the relays X and Y are deenergized, the resistor R is excluded from the fieldwinding circuit and the resistor R1 is included therein.

. in the field-winding circuit to speed up the timing motor. On the other hand, if the cars fall behind the predetermined schedule, the low-speedrelay Y will be energized to close its contact members and thereby short circuit the resistor R1 in the motor field to decrease the speed of the timing motor.

Usually, in practicing my invention, it will be found desirable to prevent the timing motor from being accelerated or decelerated unless a majority of the cars are consistently falling behind or running ahead of their schedules. Therefore, a plurality of resistors 46, 47, 48 and 49 are disposed in the parallel circuits from the red conducting plates to the coil of the high-speed relay X, and a plurality of resistors 51, 52, 53 and 54 are disposed in the parallel circuits from the green conducting plates to the coil of the low-speed relay Y.

The coil of the high-speed relay X and the resistors 46, 47, 48 and 49 are so selected, as to capacity, that red conducting plates for at least three of the cars must be energized at the same time before suflicient current will flow through the resistors to actuate the high-speed relay X and cause it to insert the resistor R to speed up the timing motor.

Similarly, the coil of the relay Y and the resistors 51, 52 and 53 and 54 are so selected, as to capacity, that at least three of the green conducting plates must be energized by their cars falling behind the predetermined schedule before suflicient current will flow to actuate the coil of the low-speed relay Y and cause it to short circuit the resistor R1 for the purpose of slowing down the timing motor.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows. Assuming that the timing motor 1 has been regulated, by movement of the finger 5 on the rheostat 4, to operate at a speed that eflects the giving of the starting signals at such intervals as to produce a predetermined schedule that is suitable to the normal operation of the elevator cars and that the cars are moving according to the predetermined schedule, then the brushes 14, 20, 22 and 24 will rotate in synchronism with the disc commutators 16, 26, 27 and 28 and will be disposed upon the non-conducting plates 35, 56, 57 and 58 on the disc commutators. As long as this condition of operation obtains, the resistor R will be short circuited from the field-winding circuit while the resistor R1 will be included in the field-winding circuit.

Assuming now that the car corresponding to the disc commutator 26 encounters considerable traflic congestion and is slowed up in its operation, then the commutator 26 will be rotated at a speed slower than that of the brush 21 and, therefore, the brush 20 will move from the non-conducting plate 56 to the conducting plate 40, thereby completing a circuit that will tend to energize the coil of the low-speed relay Y, which circuit extends from supply conductor L1, through conductor 60, the feed ring 61, brushes 21 and 20, conducting plate 43, conductor 62, resistor 52, conductors 63, and 64, the coil of low-speed relay Y and conductor 65, to supply conductor L2. However, the resistor 47 will provide suilicient resistance to prevent the relay 1 from being energized to close its normally open contact members for short-circuiting the resistor R1 in the shunt field winding of the timing motor at this time.

Assuming further that the car corresponding to the commutator 27 also meets heavy trailic conditions and slows down its operation, then the commutator 27 will rotate slower than the brush 22 and, consequently, the brush 22 will move from the non-conducting plate 57 to the conducting plate 44, thereby completing a circuit tending to energize the coil of the low-speed relay Y, which circuit extends from the supply conductor L1, through conductor 70, feed ring 71, brushes 23 and 22, conducting plate 44, conductor 72, resistor 53, conductors 7 3 and 64, the coil of relay Y and conductor to supply conductor L2. However, the resistor 48 will prevent sufiicient current from flowing in the circuit just described, even though that current is added to that already flowing through the commutator 26, to operate the relay Y.

Assuming still further that the car corre sponding to the commutator 28 also meets congested traffic conditions that slow it up considerably, then the commutator 28 will rotate slower than the brushes 24 and 25 and, therefore, the brush 24 will move from the non-conducting plate 58 to the conducting plate 45, thereby completing a circuit tending to energize the coil of the low speed relay Y, by way of a circuit that extends from the supply conductor L1, through conductor 75, feed ring 76, brushes 25 and 24, conducting plate 45, conductor 77, resistor 54, conductors 78 and 64, the coil of low-speed relay Y and conductor 65, to supply conductor L2.

lVhile the resistor 54 prevents suflicient current from flowing through the circuit ust described to energize the coil of the relay Y, yet it will be recalled that energized parallel circuits for the relay also exist through the resistors 47 and 48 and, therefore, the combined result of the current flowing through the resistors 52, 53 and 54 will be sufiicient to fully energize the coil of the low-speed relay Y and actuate it to close its normally open contact members. The closing of the contact members of the low-speed relay Y short circuits the resistor R1 in the circuit of the shunt field 3 of the timing motor 1 and thereby causes the timing motor 1 to decrease its speed. The operation of the timing motor at a lower speed causes the starting signals to be iven at a slower rate and thereby provides or a more satisfactory operation of the cars in view of the congested trafiic conditions under which they are now running.

As the congested traific conditions disappear, the cars will speed up in their operation and, therefore, the commutators 26, 27 and 28 will increase their speed until such time as the brushes 20, 22 and 24 again rest upon the non-conducting plates 56, 57 and 58, whereupon the circuits for energizing the coil of the low.speed relay Y will be opened and that relay will be deenergized to open its contact members and reinsert the resistor R1, thus causing the timing motor to resume its normal predetermined speed.

Assuming now that the traffic becomes very light and that the cars speed up their operations to a considerable extent, then the movement of the car corresponding to the commutator 16 will cause that commutator to rotate faster than its cooperating brush 14 and, therefore, the relative movement be tween the brush 14 and the commutator 16 will cause the conducting plate 33 to advance to a position under the brush 14, thereby completing a circuit tending to energize the coil of the high-speed relay X by way of a circuit which extends from supply conductor L1, through conductor 31, feed ring 30, brushes 15 and 14, conducting plate 33, conductor 80, resistor 16, conductor 81, the coil of relay X and conductor 82, to supply conductor L2. However, the resistor 46 will prevent sufficient current from flowing in this circuit to actuate the relay X.

The acceleration of the car corresponding to the commutator 26 will cause that commutator to rotate faster than its cooperating brush 20 and, therefore, the brush 20 will leave the non-conducting plate 56 and rest upon the conducting plate 40, thereby completing a circuit tending to energize the relay X, which circuit extends from the supply conductor L1, through conductor 60, feed ring 61, brushes 21 and 20 conducting plate 40, conductor 83, the resistor 4.7, conductors 81 and 81, the coil of relay X and conductor 82. to supply conductor L2. However, the resistor 52 will prevent suiiicient current from passing through the circuit just described to actuate the relay X.

The acceleration of the car corresponding to the commutator 27 will cause that 001:!- mutator to rotate faster than its comueratintr brush 22 and, therefore, the brush 22 will leave its normal position on the uon-conducting plate 57 engage the conducting plate 41, thereby completing a circuit tending to energize the coil of the high speed relay X, which circuit extends from supply conductor L1, through conductor 70, feed ring 71, brushes 23 and 22, conducting plate 41, conductor 86, resistor 48, conductor 81, the coil of relay X and conductor 82, to the supply conductor L2.

The resistor 48 prevents sufiicient current from flowing through the conductor 86 to actuate the relay X. However, inasmuch as current is also flowing through the parallel circuits represented by the conductors and 83, the current flowing through the three parallel circuits to the coil of the relay X will be sufficient to actuate that relay. The actuation of the relay X opens its normally closed contact members and thereby inserts the resistor B in the shunt field winding 3 to increase the speed of the timing motor. The increase in the speed of the timing motor causes the starting signals to be given more frequently and thereby changes the predetermined schedule to a schedule better suited to the conditions under which the cars are operating lVhen the cars again slow down to their normal rate of operation. the brushes 14, 20 and, 22 will return to their normal positions on the non-conducting plates 35, 56 and 57, thus interrupting the parallel circuits for energizing the high-speed relay X and thereby causing the timing motor to slow down to its predetermined speed.

lhercfore, it will be seen that .l have providcd a timing mechanism that will auto-- matically adjust itself to both normal and abnormal conditions of operation in such manner as n secure the most satisfactory result in the ()li'itl'iltifll'l of the dispatching systom and the cars.

lVhile I have illustrated and described only one specific embodiment of my invention, I realize that many modifications thereof may be made. Therefore, I do not desire to be limited to the precise construction illustrat-ed and described.

I claim as my invention 1. In a dispatcher for giving starting signals to a plurality of elevator cars, a timing device for effecting the giving of the starting signals at such intervals as will provide a predetermined schedule for the cars, and means operably responsive to departure of a predetermined number of the cars from said predetermined schedule for automaticall y varying the speed of said timing device to speed up said schedule when the said ofi' schedule cars are ahead of the predetermined schedule and slow down said schedule when the off schedule cars are behind the predeterm ned schedule.

2. In a dispatcher for giving starting signals to a plurality of elevator cars, a timing device. 1nanually-operated means for setting the timing device to effect the giving of the starting signals at such intervals as will provide a predetermined schedule for the cars, and means operably responsive to departure of a predetermined number of the cars from said schedule for automatically varying the speed of said timing device to speed up said schedule when the said ofi' schedule cars are ahead of the predetermined schedule and slow down said schedule when the oli schedule cars are behind the predetermined schedule.

3. In a dispatcher for giving starting signals to a plurality of elevator cars, a timing device for effecting the giving of the start ing signals at such intervals as will produce a predetermined schedule of operation -for the cars, a differential device for each of said cars jointly operated by that car and the timing device, and means operably responsive to the operation of said dilferential devices when a predetermined number of said cars depart from said schedule for automatically varying the speed of said timing device to speed up said schedule when the said oil schedule cars are ahead of the predetermined schedule and slow down said schedule when the off schedule cars are behind the predetermined schedule.

4. In a dispatcher for giving starting signals to a plurality of elevator cars, a timing device for effecting the giving of the starting signals at such intervals as will produce a predetermined schedule for the cars, a contact member for each car disposed to be operated by said timing device in accordance with said schedule, a segmental commutator for each car disposed to be engaged by the contact member for that car, means for operating each of said commutators in accordance with the position of the car with which it is associated, and means operably responsive to the position of said contact members on said commutators when a predetermined number of said cars depart from said schedule for automatically varying the speed of said timing device to speed up said schedule when the said olf schedule cars are ahead of the predetermined schedule and slow down said schedule when the off schedule cars are behind the predetermined schedule.

5. In a dispatcher for giving starting signals to a plurality of elevator cars, a timing device for effecting the giving of the starting signals at such intervals as will produce a predetermined schedule of operation for the cars, a differential device for each of said cars jointly operated by that car and by the timing device, means for automatically varying the speed of said timing device, circuits connected to said differential devices for actuating said speed varying means when the cars depart from said predetermined schedule to cause the timing device to speed up said schedule when the said oil schedule cars are ahead of the predetermined schedule and slow down said schedule when the ofi schedule cars are behind the predetermined schedule, and resistors disposed in said circuits for preventing the actuation of the speed varying means until a predetermined number of said cars have departed from said predetermined schedule.

6. In a dispatcher for giving starting sig nals to plurality of elevator cars, a timing device for effecting the giving of the starting signals at such intervals as will produce. a predetermined schedule for the cars, a contact member for each car disposed to be operated by said timing device into a position corresponding to the position in which that car should be under the predetermined schedule, a commutator for each car disposed in engagement with the contact member for that car, means controlled by said cars for operating each of said commutators into a. position corresponding to the position of the car with which it is associated, conducting segments disposed on each or" said commutators in position to be energized by the cooperating contact member when the car associated therewith departs from its scheduled position, means for varying the speed of said timing device, circuits connected to said conducting segments for energizing said speed-varying means to cause said timing means to speed up said schedule when the said oft schedule cars are ahead of the predetermined schedule and slow down said schedule when the oil schedule cars are behind the predetermined schedule, when a predetermined number of the cars depart from said predetermined schedule.

7. In a dispatcher for giving starting signals to a plurality of elevator cars, a timing device for effecting the giving of the starting signals at such intervals as will produce a predetermined schedule for the cars, a con tact member for each car disposed to be operated by said timing device into a position corresponding to the position in which that car should be under the predetermined schedule, a commutator for each car disposed in engagement with the contact member for that car, means controlled by said cars for operating each of said commutators into a position corresponding to the position of the car with which it is associated, conducting segments disposed on each of said commutators in position to be energized by the cooperating contact member when the car associated therewith departs from its scheduled position, means for automatically varying the speed of said timing device, circuits connected to said conducting segments for energizing said speed-varying means to cause said timing means to speed up said schedule when the said oil? schedule cars are ahead of the predetermined schedule and slow down said schedule when the off schedule cars are behind the predetermined schedule, when the cars depart from said predetermined schedule, and 

